French Chicken in a Pot

***I came across this recipe in a recent issue of Cooks Illustrated. It sounded wonderful, and it was an excuse to use my new Dutch oven! ;) Let me just say that this chicken was tender enough to cut with a butter knife! It was also very moist. However, if you're looking for a beautifully crisp and brown bird when you pull it out of the oven, this one isn't for you. It makes a much prettier presentation carved and on a platter. Don't judge a book by its cover though! It was delicious!***


French Chicken in a Pot
Cooks Illustrated magazine

Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken (4 1/2 - 5lbs), giblets removed and discarded, wings tucked under back
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped medium (about 1/2 c.)
1 small stalk celery, chopped medium (about 1/4 c.)
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 medium sprig fresh rosemary (I used dried rosemary)
1/2–1 tsp juice from 1 lemon

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add chicken breast-side down; scatter onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary (if using) around chicken. Cook until breast is lightly browned, about 5 mins.

Using a wooden spoon inserted into cavity of bird, flip chicken breast-side up and cook until chicken and vegetables are well browned, 6 to 8 mins. Remove Dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, 80 to 110 mins.

Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil, and rest 20 mins.

Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from pot through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids (you should have about 3/4 c. juices). Allow liquid to settle 5 mins, then pour into saucepan and set over low heat. Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to saucepan. Stir lemon juice into jus to taste.

Serve chicken, passing jus at table. (I sprinkled the chicken with thyme before serving.)

Garlicky Bean Enchiladas

Garlicky Bean Enchiladas

Everyday with Rachael Ray mag

***Hola! This is probably the first vegetarian dish that I've ever really made, and these weren't Brad's favorite for that very reason. He said that they would have been much better if they had chicken or beef in them...oh well. There's always next time! On the other hand, I thought they were really good. I added salsa and sour cream to jazz them up a bit. Even though they don't have any meat in them, they really do fill you up!***

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Two 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
1/3 cup chicken broth
Salt
Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas
2 cups store-bought salsa verde
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the chicken broth. Season with salt and cook, mashing the beans, until softened, 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil. Fry each corn tortilla for 3 seconds on each side, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain.

3. Place about 1/4 cup mashed beans on 1 tortilla and roll up to enclose; transfer to an oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining beans and tortillas.

4. Pour the salsa over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is melted and the salsa is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce

***If you had asked me what saffron threads were about 2 weeks ago, I would have said, "I have no idea!" I saw Giada make this dish last week, and I was curious to find out exactly what they were. I had no idea that they were so rare or expensive until I tried to find them for this dish. I had to go to several different grocery stores, and I finally found some at The Fresh Market. I lucked out and bought the last jar they had. The saffron added the prettiest orange color to the sauce. The flavor was great without being too powerful....Brad and I both really loved this recipe. I've got some additional information about what exactly saffron is at the bottom of this post.***

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound chicken cutlets (scallopine)

2 shallots, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sliced Shallots

Directions:
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Transfer the chicken to serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Turn the heat to medium, add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add the cream, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Source: Giada DeLaurentiis - http://www.foodnetwork.com/

*****************************************************

SAFFRON THREADS: DID YOU KNOW?

"Saffron, the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), is the world's most expensive spice. That's because each flower provides only three red stigmas, and it takes approximately 14,000 of these tiny threads for each ounce of saffron. One ounce of saffron equals the stigmas from approximately 5,000 crocuses. It takes an acre of flowers to produce a pound.

The tiny red threads of saffron must be handpicked from the center of the crocus flower. They leave behind the yellow stamens which have no taste. This spice comes either powdered or in threads (the whole stigmas)."

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/saffron.htm

Crocus Flower

CLICK Photo Contest - March - Metal

Contest Entry

Here's my very first submission for the monthly CLICK food photography contest. This month's theme is METAL. You'll find more info about the contest here:

http://jugalbandi.info/2008/02/click-march-2008-the-theme-is/

This is a shot of my new spice rack. I thought is would be a good subject for this month because of the way the colors of the spices contrast with the metal of the rack.

I took it using my Nikon D50 DSLR and the 18-55mm Nikkor lens.

The photo below is just another shot that I thought was pretty neat. It shows the spice rack in motion...

Twice-Baked Potatoes

***I got this recipe from my dad....he's such a great cook!***

Ingredients:
3 large Russet potatoes
3-4 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded; plus more for garnishing
1/2 cup sour cream
4 scallions, chopped
4 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and finely chopped (you can also use Bac-Os)

***Also, none of these ingredients are exact measurements. I just eyeball most things like this. So, please feel free to play around with the amounts.***

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place potatoes in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for approximately 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Carefully cut each potato in half....be careful, they will be hot! This is the tricky part - Scoop out the potato from each half, making a bowl or shell out of the skin. Be careful not to scoop too close to the skin...this will make the shell too weak. Place the scooped portions into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Add butter, sour cream, and cheese; stir until well combined and butter is melted. Next, add scallions and bacon pieces. Stir again.

Now, spoon a heaping amount of the potato mixture back into each potato skin shell. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the tops of the potatoes just begin to become golden brown and potatoes are heated through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with more shredded cheese. Place back into the oven just until cheese is melted.

Serve hot!